Indeed, you are of a great moral character:
I have always been contemplating the praise of Almighty God for the morals of His Messenger Muhammad (peace upon him). I was hoping that I could understand the magnificence of these morals; I wanted to understand the brilliance in the personality of this great Prophet. Eventually, when my mother died, I felt extreme sorrow. It would’ve almost destroyed my life if it wasn’t for God’s mercy on me. Despite that I was already married and I did not need her care, missing her still made me lose a desire to talk to people. I felt that the whole world was tightening around me; it felt hard to lose the mother’s love. I then remembered the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and how he lived as an orphan, moving from house to house, and how he lived missing his parents’ love. Then I said to myself that these conditions in which the Prophet Muhammad (peace upon him) lived have no way brought out a complex human being. Then I realized that he was different; when a person with this great personality comes out from these conditions, he is truly with unique ethics. I then remembered the verse: And you are of great moral character[1], and I calmed down.
We do not differentiate between one of His messengers:
The British orientalist and archaeologist “Stanley Lee Paul” said: “Muhammad was compassionate and merciful. He used to visit the patient and the poor, help the slaves, and sew up his clothes by himself. So, there is no doubt that he was a holy prophet. He was an orphan and indigent, until he became a great leader.”[2]
I remember during my discussion with a group of different nationalities, cultures and religions, I was talking about monotheism, the attributes of Divine Beauty and Majesty, and the importance of worshiping the Creator without a mediator. Someone from the group then interrupted me with a question.
He asked: Who is greater, Christ or Muhammad?
I answered: Are you asking for a comparison between one god and another? Or for a comparison between a messenger and another? If you want to compare between two gods, then there is no god but One God, both Christ and Muhammad are messengers. However, if you want to compare between one messenger and another, then we do not differentiate between one of God’s messengers.
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in God and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to you is the [final] destination. [3]
The same group member asked: If you love Christ, then why don’t you celebrate his birth?
I asked him: Do you mean celebrate the birth of the Christ who is “the son of God” or “the Messenger of God”?
If you mean the birth of the Christ who is “son of God”, your question is rejected because God neither begets nor is born, nor is there any equivalence to Him. Nevertheless, if you mean the Christ who is “the messenger of God”, we do not reject remembering or praising him in his birthday; we in fact praise him all the time. Though it was proven that he was not born in winter, but the controversy about determining his birthday does not affect the belief in anything.
He asked: Why don’t you let your daughters marry Jews and Christians?
I answered: The Muslim husband respects the source of religion, the holy book, and believes in the messengers of his Christian or Jewish wife; that’s how his faith is achieved. He allows her to practice her religion freely. On the other hand, the opposite is not true. Whenever a Christian or a Jew believes in the Prophet Muhammad, we would let our daughters marry them.
Islam completes the faith. For example, if I want to convert to Christianity, I have to lose my faith in Muhammad and the Qur’an. I also have to lose my direct relationship with the Lord of the worlds, and I have to believe in the Trinity and resort to pastors and priests. If I wanted to convert to Judaism, I have to lose my faith in the Christ and the correct Gospel.
I remember meeting with a large group from the state of Malta. I did a simple presentation about Islam, and then they all loudly said with one voice: So Muhammad is not your God!
I answered: No, Muhammad is a messenger of God. Unfortunately, this misconception is promoted by non-Muslims in order to justify the worship of the Christ, Buddha and others.
Say, “I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God. So whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord – let him do righteous work and not associate in the worship of his Lord anyone.” [4]
Whose description they find written in the Torah and the Gospel:
The American orientalist Senx said in his book “The Religion of the Arabs”:
“Muhammad came five hundred and seventy years after Christ. His mission was to improve human minds by feeding it with the origins of morality, the belief in One God, and the belief of life after this life. ”
One day I had the most wonderful situation I experienced in my life; it was a difficult day because of the thousand visitors we had. On this day, a Latino man showed up among the crowded groups of visitors. He asked me in Spanish: Who is the Paraclete?
He said: I have been travelling the world with my wife and daughter searching for the truth. Moreover, I want to know who is the character that Christ talked about in the Bible. [5]
I answered him: The Paraclete is Muhammad (peace be upon him).
God Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., described] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and prohibits them from what is wrong and makes lawful for them what is good and forbids them from what is evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him – it is those who will be the successful.[6]
He asked: How is this?
I answered: Muslims don’t believe that the Old Testament and the New Testaments are the words of God, but they believe that both have a valid source, which is the Torah and the Gospel (God’s revelations to the prophets: Moses and Jesus Christ). Therefore, some parts of the Old Testament and the Testament are from God, and other parts are not. Muslims believe that if this prophecy is true, then it is talking about the Prophet Muhammad. It is talking about a prophet who comes after Christ goes, and he stays with his teachings forever.
He said: But this character should not be a human but rather a spirit. In Christianity, it refers to the third person in the Trinity, which is considered a god.
I told him: Go back to your book and check how many times the prophets were mentioned as “spirit”. In the New Testament, the term “spirit” can be referred to a person. According to history, many of the ancient Christians understood that the “Paraclete” was a man, not a spirit. Many men before the Prophet Muhammad claimed that they were the expected “paraclete”. The Negus king of Abyssinia was a Christian, and he was waiting for the coming of “paraclete”.
I added: The prophecy says that the Paraclete speaks what he hears. In fact, this is a description of a prophet not of God. The prophet speaks what he hears from God. This is an evidence that this prophecy does not refer to the third entity in the Trinity (as Christians believe), but rather it refers to a prophet sent by God.
He said: But the prophecy says that the Paraclete talks about upcoming events.
I told him: Yes, and this is what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did. For example, the victory of the Romans, after their defeat by the Persians, was mentioned in the Qur’an.
I continued: It is impossible for this prophecy to refer to the Holy Spirit, because it says that the Paraclete will appear after Christ is gone. The Holy Spirit already exists, and according to your belief, it appeared to Mary before her pregnancy with the Christ.
The term “Paraclete” caused considerable controversy. The word “Paraklytos” in the Greek Bible was originally “Periklytos”, and it was changed during the translation from Syriac to Greek language. “Paraclete” has two meanings in Greek-language.
- Comforter, advocate and helper: Paraklytos (παρακλητος) as believed by Christians. This is based on pronunciation, which includes the “a” vowel sound.
- Muhammad or Ahmed (the praised one): Periklytos (Περικλητος), as believed by Muslims. This pronunciation is without using the “a” vowel sound.
In addition to the fact that the second meaning has more evidence to support it, the meaning of both applies to Prophet Muhammad.
It has been proven that the Syriac language did not contain vowels until the fifth century. It consisted of consonants only, and vowels were introduced after the fifth century.[7]
He said: The prophecy says that he will convict the whole world, so how did Muhammad convict the world?
I replied: Muhammad convicted the Jews because they didn’t believe in Jesus as a Prophet sent from God. Also, he convicted the Christians because they adopted the concept of the Trinity and considered Jesus as god, which is a sin as well as Jesus never claimed to be God or a begotten son of God. When Jesus referred to himself in the Bible as the Son of God, he made it clear that he is not the begotten son, but we are all sons of God metaphorically, in the sense that we are God’s servants.
He said: the Paraclete guides people to the truth and glorifies Jesus.
I said to him: Prophet Muhammad reminded the world of the pure faith (belief in one God and unify him in worship).
I also told him: No one glorified Jesus Christ on earth as much as Prophet Muhammad (peace upon him) did :
- Prophet Muhammad said : “I am most worthy of Jesus son of Mary among mankind in the world, and in the next life. They said: O Messenger of God, how that? He replied: prophets are brothers in faith, having different mothers, their religion is one and there is no prophet between us (between Jesus and me). “
- The name of Jesus Christ is mentioned more than the name of Prophet Muhammad in the Qur’an (25 times vs. 4).
- The mother of Jesus Christ, Mary, has been elevated over all women according to the Qur’an.
- The Virgin Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an.
- The Qur’an has a full chapter named after the Virgin Mary. [8]
The visitor, his wife and daughter showed me happiness, and they said: it’s enough for us to get these information from our long trip. We have found the truth; we thank God that He guided us to it after long toil. We had a deep belief that there is no god but One God and Christ is the Messenger of God. Now we would get out from here with a testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, “O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of God to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Aḥmad.” But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, “This is obvious magic. ” [9]
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons:
I had a discussion with a group of Canadian Jews, and after I talked about monotheism, someone asked me: Oh Muslims, why do you have problem with us?
I answered him: A Muslim has no problem with anyone. Muslims believe in Jesus, Moses and other prophets, and they worship God alone without an intermediary.
He said: I do not see any problem in Muhammad being a messenger.
I asked him: Is believing in him one of the pillars of your faith?
He answered: No
I said: Believing in Moses is one of the pillars of Muslim’s faith.
He said: Muhammad was not mentioned in our books.
I told him: Then who does the paragraph talk about in the Old Testament?
Then the book will be given to the one who is unlettered, saying, ‘Please read this’. And he will say, ‘I cannot read[10].’
Does this prophecy apply to anyone other than Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet?
Up until the birth of Jesus Christ (peace upon him), the Israelites were awaiting a prophet and the Christ to come [11].
He said: I do not know; we are still waiting for Christ and the expected prophet.
He added: Muhammad copied his book from the Torah.
I asked him: Did the Jews claim this at the time of the revelation?
He answered: No.
I told him: If the Prophet Muhammad copied his book from the Torah, the Jews would be the fastest people in attributing it to themselves.
I also told him: Aren’t our legislation such as prayer, pilgrimage and giving Alms different from yours? Then look at the testimony of non-Muslims which states that the Qur’an is distinguished from other books without human intervention and contains scientific miracles. Therefore, when the one who has a creed acknowledges the validity of the creed that contradicts it, it is the greatest proof of its validity.
In fact, the existence of the similarities prove that it is only One Message and it should be One. What the Prophet Muhammad brought is not evidence of his deception. God challenged the Arabs and non-Arabs to produce a literary work of a similar caliber as the Qur’an, but they were unable to do so despite their well-known eloquence and literary powers; the challenge remains.
I asked him: Was all the scientific information that was found in the ancient civilizations true?
I asked him: Was all the scientific information that was found in ancient civilizations true?
He said: No. Some are true, but there are many myths.
I asked him: How could that unlettered prophet, who grew up in a desolate desert, copy only true information and leave myths?
He asked: What do you think of Adam’s first wife, whom he married before Eve?
Frankly, I could not help but laugh at this strange information, which I have never heard about in my life.
I said: This character has never been mentioned in Islam. But what does believing in the existence of this character add to your faith?
He said: Nothing.
I told him: Then think carefully about what else would be added to your faith, and would benefit you, which is the belief in the one and only true God and His worship alone, and the faith in all His prophets, including Jesus and Muhammad.
He asked: Why did Muhammad neglect Al-Aqsa Mosque (the holy mosque in Jerusalem), which is the Qiblah (the direction in which Muslims used to turn to pray) of all prophets?
I asked him: Why did the Samaritan Jews neglect the direction of Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, and turn their Qiblah (the direction in which a Jew turns to pray) towards AL-TUR in Palestine?
I also told him: The fact that the Jews changed the direction of their prayers was not in terms of revelation and bless from God. There is no command in the Torah about turning the direction of the prayers towards the rock, so it is based on their choice. As for Christians, God did not command them in the Bible, or in others, to turn their direction of the prayers to the East at all. [12]
I continued: In fact, the Qur’an told us that the holy mosque in Mecca was the first mosque of worship appointed for humanity, and its structure was raised by the Prophet Ibrahim along with his son Ismail. It is well known that the temple in Jerusalem was built long after the Prophet Ibrahim, while the holy mosque was in Mecca before Ibrahim.
Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah [i.e., Makkah] – blessed and a guidance for the worlds. [13]
The Kaaba (The building covered with black cloth in the middle of the holy mosque) has always been well known throughout history. People visit it every year, even from the farthest parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and its sanctity is respected from the entire Arabian Peninsula.
It was mentioned in the prophecies of the Old Testament: As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.[14]
The Arabs used to glorify the holy mosque at the age of ignorance. Upon the mission of the Prophet Muhammad, God made the direction of the prayers towards the farthest mosque in Jerusalem. Then God commanded him to transfer the direction from the farthest mosque in Jerusalem to the holy mosque in Mecca. The aim of the direction transformation was to extract people with good hearts, and who are loyal to God, and to make their hearts get attached only to Him. It lasted until the Muslims submitted and turned their direction in prayer to Makkah at which the Messenger directed them.
Changing the direction of the prayers was also a turning point and a sign of shifting the religious leadership to the Arabs after it was taken away from the Children of Israel. This is because they have broken their covenants with the Lord of the worlds.
He said: I have to go now. In our faith, we do not shake hands with women because they are below the level of men, but I will only shake your hand, as appreciation for your knowledge.
I told him: As for us, we do not shake hands with men, because we are as honorable as the Queens, therefore I will not shake hands with you.
The Italian writer Dr. Laura Vicha Valeri says:
“In a wasteland, a valley without cultivation, and isolated from a civilized humanity, a fresh, flowy stream of water burst among the savages, heartless people who do not submit to Sultan and do not adhere to restriction. That fountain is the religion of Islam that flowed abundantly. It took its way into the ground, in a swarm, and it became a small river. It eventually turned into a great river; thousands of streams and rivers branched off from it quickly which penetrated the country long and wide. Soon, people tasted this strange drink, and recovered from their social diseases. The men of the West are about to be convinced that Muhammad’s sincerity in his vocation was unquestionable. Muhammad as a messenger calling to God was a merciful and soft hearted man even with his personal enemies. Thus, two virtues, both of which are the greatest virtues inconceivable by the human mind, were gathered in him, which are mercy and justice. We don’t have to give examples about that, as it is easy to find many of them in the books about his life history. “[15]
Even if I brought you proof manifest:
In my conversation with an atheist, he mocked the miracle of Israa and Mi ‘raj (the night journey from the Holy Mosque in Mecca to the farthest mosque in Jerusalem then to Heaven). He wondered how was the Messenger (peace upon him) able to reach Jerusalem, ascend to heaven, and return on the same night.
I told him: Today what happened to me was even more extraordinary. While giving a lecture, I was present in more than twenty countries at the same time.
He laughed and said: You mean social media, of course.
I told him: Human technology delivered my voice and image to all parts of the world at the same moment. Couldn’t the Creator of humanity be able to ascend His Prophet (the body and spirit) to the heavens 1400 years ago?
This journey happened according to the Divine Power and Will, which is beyond our awareness. It differs from our human law. It considered signs and proofs of the the Lord of the Worlds’ Power. He is the one who enacted and developed these laws.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The journey of Israa and Mi ‘raj was a new test for Muslims in their faith and certainty. It was an opportunity for the Prophet (peace upon him) to see the wonders of Divine Power, to learn metaphysical beliefs, and to honor the invocation of God in a place that no humans have ever reached. In addition, it was an opportunity for him to be a reason in reducing his sorrows and worries, renewing his determination to continue his call (worshiping one God), and confront the harm of his people. “
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of God an excellent pattern:
Gandhi, the famous Indian leader, spoke to “yang India” newspaper about the characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad. He said:
“I wanted to know the characteristics of the man who, without any conflict, posesses the hearts of millions of people. I became convinced that the sword was not the means by which Islam gained its status, but rather it was through the simplicity of the Messenger with his accuracy and sincerity in promises, his dedication, and loyalty to his friends and followers, along with his courage and absolute confidence in his Lord and in his message. These are the qualities that paved the way, and bypassed the difficulties, not the sword. After I finished reading the second part of the life of the Prophet, I found myself sorry that there was no more to learn about his great life.”
I had a dialogue with a Christian from Cameron, and his British girlfriend. While I was saying there is no god but One God, he interrupted me by saying:
Why did Muhammad harass a little girl?
I asked him: Can I understand from your interrupting that you agree there is no god to be worshiped but God, and your problem now is with the details of the life of the Messenger?
He said: No, no, I do not agree, Christ is also god.
I told him: Why don’t you discuss with me the same point, which I am talking about then?
He said: Do not answer my question with a question. Why did your messenger harass a girl?
I asked him: Who told you this?
He said: The Book of Bukhari that you believe in.
I told him: Did Mrs. Aisha ever complain?
Didn’t you read in Bukhari about Mrs. Aisha’s strong love for the Messenger “peace be upon him”? Does the girl love a harasser?
Didn’t you read in Bukhari that it is marriage and not harassment?
How old was Mary when she gave birth to Christ? How old was she, according to your faith, when she was engaged to a 90 –year-old man before she became pregnant with Christ? Isn’t this age close to the age of Mrs. Aisha when she married the Messenger?
I continued: It’s strange that at the time, the Prophet’s enemies accused him of the most heinous accusations. They said he was a poet and a madman. But this story doesn’t matter; no one ever mentioned it, except you now. So this story is either a natural thing that people used to do at that time, or it didn’t happen the way you perceive it.
He asked: Why did Muhammad marry nine women, even though it was forbidden for his companions? By specifying that they can only marry four women?
I asked: Why, according to your claim, did you accuse God’s prophets of fornication as mentioned in the New Testament? Even though the accusement is far from them.
He answered: To teach us that fornication is forbidden.
I told him: Wondrous! You believe that the prophets of God committed major sins of fornication, killing and drinking wine under the pretext of teaching their followers the right or wrong, and you condemn the Messenger’s legal marriage by order of God to teach Muslims the lessons.
The Messenger, during his life and before his prophecy, remained in his marriage for 25 years without marrying another woman, and his wife was 15 years older than him. Then, the Messenger married more than one after his mission as an order from God. When the verse of determining marriage was revealed by only four, the Messenger had more than four women, but because they are considered as mothers of the believers, they cannot marry anyone else if he divorced them.
He asked: Why did Muhammad fight his enemies? Christ was not a fighter, but rather a lover of his enemies.
I told him: Why then did you believe in Moses when he was a fighter, and you believed in David when he was a fighter?
Moses and Muhammad assumed political and secular affairs, and each of them migrated from the pagan community. So Moses migrated from Egypt with his people, and Muhammad migrated to Yathrib. Before that, his followers migrated to Abyssinia in order to run away from the political and military influence in the country from which they fled with their religion. The difference is that Jesus (peace be upon him) was sent to non-pagans “the Jews” (unlike Moses and Muhammad, because their environments are pagan: Egypt and the Arab countries), which made their circumstances more difficult. The change entrusted to the call of Moses and Muhammad (peace upon them), is a radical and comprehensive change, and a massive shift from paganism to monotheism.
I continued: The number of victims in wars that took place during the time of the Messenger does not exceed one thousand people; their purpose was for self-defense, and a response to aggression, or insurance of religion. But look at the number of victims that occurred due to wars waged in the name of religion in other religions, and they were in millions.
He said: The invasions of your Messenger were looting.
I told him: The Prophet continued to call people to Islam in Mecca for 13 years, and tolerated the persecution of the Quraish people. He had no spoils or lootings, and what was taken from the spoils later, was either money from the people of war that the Muslims take so that the enemy is not able to fight them, or to recover the money of immigrants that was taken from them by force. This differs from the pillaging that results in the loss of innocent souls, such as women and children. The noble Messenger distributed the spoils for those who converted to Islam to bring their hearts together, and for a non-Muslim to make them love Islam. He also called for forgiveness and restitution of rights to their owners, as well as prefering them over themselves in food and clothing.
He said: The angels who came down to help the Muslims in the battle of Badr were weak, and they did not kill all polytheists at that time.
I told him: Then you believe in the descent of the angels.
He said: No, but I will share with you the opinion.
I told him with a smile: The meaning of descending angels in the Battle of Badr is to stabilize the hearts of the believers in the battle, and teaching them that God helps those who seek refuge and trust in Him. In addition, God did not want all the polytheists to be killed, knowing that some of them would convert to Islam later.
He said: Why didn’t the angels descend in the battle of Uhud?
I told him: The lesson here is different, and it is about the importance of taking into account the matarialisic causes for victory and the importance of obeying the leader.
He said: Isn’t the massacre of the Jewish Banū Qurayza, and the Judgment on banditry brutality?
I told him: What is the punishment of the traitors and the breakers of the covenants according to the laws of the United Nations today? Just imagine a group determined to kill you all and take your money? What would you do with them?
The Jews of Banu Qurayza broke the covenant, and allied themselves with the polytheists to eliminate the Muslims, but their attempts were finally in vain.
He said: Islam spread with the sword and did not spread with peace.
I told him: First of all, the word sword was not mentioned in the Noble Qur’an even once. Muslims ruled India for a long period of time, and they did not kill Hindus or Christians. In addition, Muslims did not force everyone to convert to Islam. Didn’t the Jews and Christians live in Andalusia under the ruling of Islam, practicing their beliefs and enjoying their rights? The countries of which the history of Islam has not witnessed wars, is where most Muslims reside, such as Indonesia, India, China and others.
He surprised me by saying: I am only a prophet, and I have been testing you.
I smiled and told him: We were honored by your presence; unfortunately, I did not know that. I will call a colleague of mine here at the center, and he will complete the dialogue with you.
I couldn’t complete my dialogue with him because I was exhausted, and I realized that he was being manipulative.
My colleague came and said: Welcome, Sir, how can I help you?
He said: I am a prophet, and I can predict your future now.
My colleague told him: Why the future? We are in the present; today I am suffering from some pain, so tell me please what I am suffering from since the morning.
He said: No, no. Things are not going like this.
He asked to him: So how does it go?
He said: I have to leave the place right away, thank you for having us.
Italian writer Dr. Laura Vicha Valery also says:
“It’s enough to say that wars, which are the most basic necessities of human life, have become, thanks to Muhammad, less brutal and cruel, as he was asking his soldiers not to kill an old man, a woman, or a child, and they would not demolish homes that were not taken as military strongholds, nor did they destroy the causes of life, nor they touch the fruit trees and palms. “[16]
We have sent you with the truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner:
Edward Montet, Director of the University of Geneva, said in a lecture: “Islam is a rapidly spreading religion that spreads on its own without any encouragement offered by organized centers, because every Muslim is a preacher by his nature. The Muslim is very faithful, and the intensity of his faith seizes his heart and mind; this is an advantage in Islam that does not exist in other religions. For this reason, you can see a burning desire of a Muslim to preach his religion wherever he goes, and transmits the severe contagion of faith to all of the pagans. The strong Islamic faith has the greatest merit in spreading this rapid spread. In addition to faith, Islam is compatible with social and economic conditions. The Muslim has an amazing ability to adapt according to the environment, along with adapting the environment according to what this strong religion requires. “[17]
I had a dialogue with priests from the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia.
One of them said: Why is the apostate killed in Islam while you claim that Islam has guaranteed freedom of belief?
I said to him: Faith is a relationship between a servant and his Lord. Whenever he wants to cut it, the decision is between him and God. If he wanted to speak out and take it as an excuse to fight Islam and distort its image, it is an axiom of man-made laws in war that it is imperative to kill him, and this is what no one disagrees about.
He said: Christ said that we should love our enemies. He also said that whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn your left cheek to him. As for Muhammad, he fought his enemies.
I said to him: According to what is attributed to Jesus, peace be upon him, that whoever slaps you in your right cheek, turn your left cheek to him, we have no evidence to prove it in order to establish provisions on it. If this is true, it may mean forgiving the abuser, but not humiliation and submission. Didn’t Jesus say: “I did not come to bring peace to the Earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, fire and division? ” [18]
There are orders issued by Christ to his followers not to resist the enemies. If he ordered them to resist their oppressors, this would have eliminated his vocation from its inception. Therefore, if the saying “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other also” is correct, it is not a general and absolute rule, but rather an expression of a method of work in special circumstances. I do not think that Christ wastes people’s rights, because beating is a case of aggression against others, resulting in a retribution.
The mercy of the Prophet Muhammad (peace upon him) was manifested on the day that he entered Mecca victoriously, when he said: Today is the Day of Mercy. He issued a general forgiveness for the Quraysh people, who spared no effort to harm Muslims, and he rewarded evil for good and bad treatment with good treatment.
And not equal are the good deed and the bad. Repel [evil] by that [deed] which is better; and thereupon, the one whom between you and him is enmity [will become] as though he was a devoted friend. [19]
Among the characteristics of righteous people:
Who spend [in the cause of God] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and God loves the doers of good. [20]
He said: Why did Jesus forgive the adulterer while Muhammad executed the penalty of adultery? [21]
I told him: There is a complete agreement between Judaism, Christianity and Islam to emphasis the punishment for the crime of adultery.
In addition, in Christianity, Christ emphasized the meaning of adultery, and did not make it confined to a tangible physical act, but rather transferred it to moral awareness[22]. Christianity have deprived adulterers of inherit in the Kingdom of God, after which they have no choice but eternal torment in Hell[23] .The punishment for adulterers in this life is what the Law of Moses, which is stoning (murder by stone), approves[24].
As Biblical scholars admit today, the story of Christ’s forgiveness for the adulterer in reality does not exist in the oldest versions of the Gospel of John, but it was added to it later, and that what is determined by modern translations. The most important of all is that Christ had announced at the beginning of his vocation that he did not come to break the Law of Moses and the prophets before him, and that the disappearance of heaven and earth was easier for him than to drop one point of the Law of Moses[25]. Hence, Christ cannot disrupt the Law of Moses by leaving the adulterous woman without punishment. [26]
The penalty is held by the testimony of four witnesses, with the description of the incident of adultery confirming that it occurred, and not just the presence of a man with a woman in one place. If one of the witnesses retracts his testimony, applying the punishment should be stopped. This explains the scarcity of execution of prescribed penalty for adultery in Islamic law throughout history, because it is not proven except this way. It is difficult, but it is almost impossible only by the perpetrator’s confession.
One of the general principles in Islam, with regard to the execution of prescribed penalties on the crime, is that:
Attentiveness must be taken, making excuses and avoid suspicions that make the judge’s conscience uncomfortable with the execution of prescribed penalties; according to the saying of the Messenger of God: “Avoid the penalties which are based on suspicions.”
Whoever has sinned while only God knew about his sin, and did not show his sin to people, there is no prescribed penalties on him; it is not an ethic of Islam to spy on people’s sins.
In the case of execution of prescribed penalty for adultery based on the confession of one of the sinners, and not based on the testimony of the four witnesses, there is no prescribed penalty on the second party who did not confess his guilt.
The repentance accepted by God is only for those who do wrong in ignorance [or carelessness] and then repent soon [after]. It is those to whom God will turn in forgiveness, and God is ever Knowing and Wise. [27]
And whoever does a wrong or wrongs himself but then seeks forgiveness of God will find God Forgiving and Merciful. [28]
And God wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak. [29]
A woman, fully by her choice, came to the Prophet (peace upon him) and admitted her adulterly. She asked him to execute the prescribed penalty on her, and she was pregnant too. Then the Prophet of God called her guardian, and he said: Treat her good. This indicates the perfection of the law, and the perfection of the Creator’s mercy with the creatures. The Messenger said to her: Go back until you give birth.
When she came back, he said to her: Go back until you wean your child. Based on her insistence to return to the Messenger after weaning the child, he executed the prescribed penalty on her, and said: she repented, and her repentance, if it were distributed to seventy of the people of Medina, it will be enough for them.
The mercy of the Messenger (peace upon him), was manifested in this noble position.
I am the Messenger of God to you all:
There was a rare visit from three monks coming from a Buddhist temple in Thailand. They were accompanied by a diplomatic delegation from the Thai embassy, and the monks were dressed in what is similar to Muslims pilgrimage clothes, but orange. We were instructed at the beginning of the visit that the monks do not shake hands with women. In addition, when it came to taking the memorial photo with me inside the mosque as a tour supervisor, I was supposed to kneel with the embassy staff on my knees, while the monks remain on their legs, as they are higher than everyone else.
I said to them: About shaking hands, I do not shake hands with men, but as for the photo, I will only be standing, since I only kneel to God. If you don’t like that, then I will come out of the photo. So they agreed, and the photo was taken for us. I was standing beside the monks at a distance, while the embassy crew sat on the ground.
One of the monks, who was the most fluent in English, asked me: What are the teachings of your religion?
I told him: The teachings of our religion are similar to those of your religion, but we follow them fully, and you shortened them.
He said: How is that?
I told him: The commandments that you have regarding respect for human rights, including non-killing and respecting the rights of neighbor and kindness to the poor, are found in the teachings of every religion on earth, including Hinduism, Judaism and Christianity, and they are also in Islam. However, the difference between Islam and the rest of the religions is that the rest of the religions marginalized and ignored the first commandment, yet kept the rest.
He asked: What is the first commandment?
I told him: The belief in One God, to whom all resorted in adversity.
He asked: Do you mean Gautama Buddha?
I told him: No. I mean the Only Truth and Power in the sky, the Creator of Buddha himself along with all human beings, to whom all seek refuge when they exhaust all means to save them from crises.
I then said: When a strong fear of thunder happens, doesn’t the Buddhist resort to the Power in the sky to seek protection?
He said: Yes. But what is the evidence that these were among the commandments that we follow?
I told him: The evidence is that you practice it unintentionally . Buddha taught you the religion of Islam by admitting that death is truth, and by giving you a description of the eternal life in which there is neither death nor pain, which is what you call “Nirvana”.
One of the famous scholars, Arthur Lily, says: “The following words were carved in stone: (What Buddha’s disciples thought about God, the soul, and the future of man) ‘We recognize and believe in God, who is a being worthy for this (faith).’”[30]
He said: But Buddha is a god.
I asked him: Does God say about Himself, I am not the first Buddha and I will not be the last Buddha?[31]
Gautama Buddha did not demand any of his followers to worship him as a god or worship anything or any other person. In addition, “Gautama” used the word “Buddha” in the context of the word “prophet,” meaning a person who is enlightened by divine revelation.
Buddha said: “Everyone should believe in the next Prophet (Maitreya). “[32]
The word “Maitreya” or “Meta” in the Balinese language along with all the corresponding words used in Burmese, Chinese, Tibetan and Japanese have the same meaning. It is the same word “Rahmat” in Arabic, which means “Mercy”.[33] (Where God Almighty referred in the Noble Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad as a mercy to the worlds).
And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.[34]
He said: Wondrous! Do you assert that Buddha was a messenger of God, who predicted the coming of your Prophet?
I told him: We can never be sure; the name of Buddha was never mentioned in the Noble Qur’an, but we see that there are striking similarities between religions. This does not exclude that its source is one, which is the Creator, and they differed due to human distortions. The Qur’an repeatedly affirmed that God sent messengers and prophets to all nations to recall the worship of One Creator, and mentioned the names of some, and others did not.
He asked: Is there evidence of Muhammad’s prophecy in the books of Hinduism too?
I told him: Yes.
“It is Nirachanza or the praised person (Muhammad) that he is a Karama: Prince of Peace or Expatriate, and he is safe, even among a group of sixty thousand and ninety enemies. He rides the camel, and his chariot touches the sky.”[35]
Nirachanza “The man of praise” refers to the Prophet Muhammad. The actual meaning of the Arabic word “Muhammad” is: “the praiseworthy man. ” It is not known exactly how many enemies the Prophet Muhammad had at that time, but it has been proven that there were thousands.
When the Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca (the city in which he was born, but had to leave due to his assassination plot) to Medina, he went on the camel.
I also said: There are many others.[36]
Say, [O Muhammad], “O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of God to you all, [from Him] to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. There is no deity except Him; He gives life and causes death.” So believe in God and His Messenger, the unlettered prophet, who believes in God and His words, and follow him that you may be guided. [37]
The visit ended, and they requested copies of translations of the meaning of the Qur’an in Thai language, and they thanked us very much.
The English philosopher Thomas
Carlyle (1881-1795) said: “It has become one of the greatest shame for any
civilized individual of this age to listen to what he thinks, that the religion
of Islam is a lie, that Muhammad is a deceit. So we have to fight the rumours
that have such silly and shameful sayings. The message that this messenger
performed is still the enlightening lamp, for a period of twelve centuries for
about two hundred million people like us; God created them, as He created us
too. Have you ever seen that a false man can establish a religion and spread
it? Wondering how the man who is a liar, cannot build a house of bricks. If he
is not aware of the properties of the lime,
the plaster, the dust and what its similar to, therefore,
what
was built was not a house, but a hill of rubble and a mixture of materials. In
addition, it was not worth staying on its pillars twelve centuries inhabited by
two hundred million souls, but it is worthy to collapse its pillars, so it will
be destroyed as if it was not.”[38]
[1] (Qur’an 68:4).
[2] Book – hadiths with the schedule – the words of the Prophet 1893.Muhammad.
[3] (Qur’an 2: 285).
[4] (Qur’an 18:110).
[5] John’s Gospel 15/26 – 16/14.
[6] (Qur’an 3: 157).
[7] From the book Eye on the Truth. Faten Sabri.
[8] From the book Eye on the Truth. Faten Sabri.
[9] (Qur’an 61:6).
[10] Isaiah 29:12.
[11] John 1: 19-21.
[12] http://www.aqsaonline.org/news.aspx?id=5664#_ftn6
[13] (Qur’an 3: 96).
[14] Psalms 84″.
[15] The book “Beauties of Islam”.
[16] The book “Beauties of Islam”.
[17] The Park is a collection of masterful literature and eloquent wisdom. Suleiman bin Saleh Al-Kharashi.
[18] The Gospel of Matthew” 10:34.
[19] (Qur’an 41:34).
[20] (Qur’an 3:134).
[21] Leviticus 20: 10-18.
[22] Matthew 5: 27–30.
[23] Corinthians 6: 9-10.
[24] John 8: 3-11.
[25] Luke 16:17.
[26] https://www.alukah.net/sharia/0/82804/
[27] (Qur’an 4: 17).
[28] (Qur’an 4: 110).
[29] (Qur’an 4: 28).
[30] Quote from the book “India in Primitive Christianity”, page 85.
[31] Gospel of Buddha by Carus pg.217 and 218 (from Ceylon sources).
[32] Arshagyanam” (Page282).
[33] Prophecy on The Coming of Prophet Muhammad in Other Scriptures – Zakir Naik. http://www.irfi.org/articles3/articles_4601_4700/prophecy%20on%20the%20coming%20of%20prophet%20muhammadhtml.htm
[34] (Qur’an 21:107).
[35] Prophecy on The Coming of Prophet Muhammad in Other Scriptures – Zakir Naik.
[36] The original concept of God. Faten Sabri.
[37] (Qur’an 7: 158).
[38] The book “Heroes”.